1. Personal care

• Moisturizing and Hydration: Lauric acid helps to retain moisture in the skin and hair, making them softer and more supple. It can be found in lotions, creams, and moisturizers to promote hydration and prevent dryness. 
• Cleansing: Lauric acid is an effective cleansing agent, helping to remove dirt, oils, and impurities from the skin and hair. It's commonly used in soaps, body washes, and shampoos to provide a refreshing and invigorating cleanse. 
• Antimicrobial Properties: Lauric acid has antimicrobial properties that can help protect the skin and hair from bacterial and fungal infections. This makes it a valuable ingredient in products for acne-prone or problematic skin. 
• Hair Conditioning: Lauric acid can penetrate hair shafts to help strengthen and condition the hair, reducing protein loss and improving shine. It's used in shampoos, conditioners, and hair masks to improve hair health and manageability. 
• Skin Healing and Anti-aging: Lauric acid can help to heal minor wounds and injuries and may contribute to reducing the appearance of wrinkles and signs of aging. 
• Raw material: It is a major raw material for manufacturing soaps.

2. Food & Healthcare Ingredients

• Preservative and Stability: Lauric acid, especially in coconut oil, helps preserve foods and prevent spoilage due to its antimicrobial properties and stability. It can extend the shelf life of perishable foods by preventing rancidity and the growth of microbes, toxins, and carcinogens.
• Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCTs): Lauric acid plays a role in the production of MCTs, which are widely used in dietary supplements and therapeutic diets due to their rapid absorption and metabolism.

3. Pharmaceuticals

• Excipient: Lauric acid is used as an excipient in drug formulations to improve the solubility and bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs.
• Antimicrobial Agent: Its antimicrobial properties make it a potential candidate for treating infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
• Nanogel Formulations: Lauric acid has been used in nanogel formulations for wound healing and other applications, showing good biocompatibility and antioxidant properties.

4. Performance Chemicals

• Intermediate: Lauric acid, when reacted with sodium hydroxide, forms sodium laurate, which is a common soap. It's also used in the production of other surfactants with different functionalities. Lauric acid reacts with diethanolamine to form N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)lauramide, a compound that has surface-active properties.